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Author
Topic: 3 weeks on Atripla (Read 7975 times)

Sooooo far I've been taking Atripla without interuption or without side effects. Was worried about starting my meds and I'm anxious to see the results after I go for my first labs. I'm pretty relieved that I'm on this path and I haven't experienced any issues. Has anyone else been on this road without any problems? I don't even have any issues when I eat and take the pill. Dreams have always been pretty vivid so the pill hasn't changed that area of my life either. I welcome anyone to comment. I'd love to know everyone's experience!

Thanks for the upbeat post, your timing is great... I'm counting the days until I start, 9 more to go! I chose Thursday the 18th as a start date as the end of November is a lite work schedule. I really hope I have the same result as I've always been excessively tolerant of drugs. I guess I'll know soon enough.

nychope1

Hey fellas.. Glad all is well with you Dangerboy and good luck to you Aaron.I'm on my third day of Atripla and can't report any major problems. I definitely feel foggy and out of sorts in the morning and not quite up to par the rest of the day. Haven't had any crazy dreams and seem to be sleeping well. All and all the side effects have been minimal but not feeling like I would want to in the long term. I was only diagnosed three weeks ago and have very good numbers and went into this feeling very healthy. I will give this med a couple of weeks and see how it goes. Question for you Dangerboy... Do take the Artipla at night? If so how long before you go to sleep?

I take it at 1am every morning. I fall asleep when I fall asleep. I don't feel foggy at all tho. It's almost like I'm not taking anything at all. A little nervous about that. I'll be going for my first set of labs soon. Hopefully they'll bring good news. I'm not expecting anything radical just a lil something to tell me they're working.

Hey guys - The only side effects that I have had with Atripla (started in March 2010) would be wild dreams. Its very seldom that I have bad dreams so I really dont mind them too much. We're talking weird dreams and I mean way out there weird from time to time. I will say that the treatment has been great and I am now undetectable. Best of luck and I feel sure it will work well for you.

Just to let you know, I'm in the same boat. Been on Atripla for about hmm 6 weeks now. No discernable side effects (maybe a headache if I stay up too late, or a bit woozy in the morning but some fresh air soon clears that up). Overall though, I've been taking it easy on myself last couple of weeks, not going out socialising as much at weekends while I adjust to it. Of the couple of nights I have gone out with friends, it's actually not too hard to remember to take a pill, and iif we're down the pub or out wherever, it's quite easy to go to the toilet, pop the pill then rejoin the group. It's just been a matter of getting in the habit!

Have to admit it is something of an "anticlimax" after all that worry about starting treatment (if you get what I mean!) but I'm thanking my lucky stars treatment is so advanced these days. Going to get bloods taken on Monday, so hoping for some good results.

ok i just started with Atripla on Friday evening and all i gotta say is that the first night wow very drunk feeling but last night it was nothing i was cleaning house and doming laundry and then went to sleep. No vivid dreams so far no rash that i have been hearing... I feel healthy no drowsiness when i wake up i feel somewhat like me... I will feel completely 100% me once i start gym and begin to socialize... Just trying to get accustomed to the fact i am HIV god i miss the Patron but this is more important...

Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences. I took my first Atripla (my first ever retroviral) on Nov 18th about an hour before going to bed. I had definite dizziness and "trippy" effects, plus of course the dreams. These effects seem to be lessening already although a slight dizziness and lack of energy continues into the next day. I am confident that these side effects will eventually lessen. I stop eating two hours before taking the pill, but if my last food is NOT fatty the effects seem to be less. I'm just grateful that I haven't had any gastrointestinal reactions and I'm really glad it hasn't caused insomnia, because that's a problem of mine at the best of times. I understand that it can take awhile to get the rash, so my fingers are crossed that I won't be experiencing that.

Thanks everyone for sharing their experiences. I took my first Atripla (my first ever retroviral) on Nov 18th about an hour before going to bed. I had definite dizziness and "trippy" effects, plus of course the dreams.

Why do you take it and stay up an hour? I've been taking mine as about the last thing I do before I go to bed (brush my teeth, pop a pill, drink 12 -16 oz water, go pee and lights out!) I have had no issues at all, if my body is getting dizzy I'm long asleep by then!

Well I am a year into this and have had great results with atripla. I went undetectable in 3 weeks and over time my CD4 has nearly doubled to 685. The typical side effects went away quickly and now I take it in the morning, first thing, as it is the most stable part of my daily routine - so I haven't missed a dose and I don't have any discernable side effects. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but I wanted you guys to know a good success story. Good luck with it and stick to it. Find the least obtrusive and most realiable way to fit it into your routine and you will do fine.

VERY EXCITED! I've been on Atripla for almost 2 months and my labs are back! Still no side effects, but my viral load went from over 50,000 to 60 and my t-cells are climbing slowly but surely! Best Christmas present EVER!

i think you'll be reassured by the numbers. mine started very low, but don't get hung up on numbers either way, i've thought way to much about wanting higher ones instead of just being thankful, and drinking absinthe was maybe a bad way of celebrating undetectable viral load

as far as the dreams, after you've had a few really vivid ones, watch inception, it's a trip, just saying

the empty stomach and nothing fatty is something to remember, after a big plate of salmon i dreamed my tattoos started swimming around and i ate them... we need a thread of dream stories and analysis

it occurs to me that law enforcement reading these boards might not like how often we use the term trippy

Well, I started Atripla on November 18 and had my first lab tests on December 7, just short of 3 weeks later. Today I got the results and my VL is undetectable! My VL wasn't super-high to begin with, but my doc is impressed. I assumed my VL would be down, but I wasn't expecting to be undetectable so quickly. My doc gave me the impression that this isn't necessarily typical (though ruralguy here had that result after 3 weeks too).

I'm still having the epic dreams but they are gradually reducing in Oscar-worthy production values. I had a mild non-itchy rash for a couple of days around day 10. The dizziness is virtually gone (i.e. if I get up in the night). I do still have days where I feel oddly fatigued but doc said that should improve as well. So, thumbs-up for Atripla to date.

I am glad to hear your report! Atripla kicked my ass for about three weeks but my diagnoses numbers sucked really, really bad. Insomnia, nausea, thrush, hot, cold, diarrhea just for beginners. I lost a ton of weight because I had no appetite. Ran a low grade fever. Food made me sick.

My doctor told me it would take my body time to adjust and he was right on. At the three week point, it was like someone flipped a switch and things got better. I began to eat, went on Prozac for depression, and my over-all health recovered quite well.

The three week adjustment period was hell, I'm not going to lie. I was so weak, it was hard to get out of bed. Even though I felt like I was going to die I just kept telling myself it would get better and slowly, it did. My doc said that the effects on my were bad because we started with horrible numbers (his exact words) but I responded very well to Atripla and the disease is being managed.

Doctors can seem nonchalant when dealing with this but in my experience it's not because they don't care, it's because they are used to dealing with this and there are stages you have to go through. Ask questions...ask a lot of questions but don't be afraid.

Logged

Diagnosed in May of 2010 with teh AIDS.

PCP Pneumonia . CD4 8 . VL 500,000

TRIUMEQ - VALTREX - FLUOXETINE - FENOFIBRATE - PRAVASTATIN - CIALIS

Numbers consistent since 12/2010 - VL has remained undetectable and CD4 is anywhere from 275-325

I too am going on my 3rd week of Atripla. I have had minor side effects, no vivid dreams tho. the 1st 3 days of taking Atripla I woke feeling slightly dizzy but the 4th morning that went away. on day 6 i had 1 night of nite sweats and that went away. I'm now on day 17 and just 2 days ago started to develope the rash people have talked about. I 1st noticed the rash after taking a hot shower. Before that it wasnt visible. I think the heat of the water brought it out to be noticed. At that time it didnt itch and now is the 3rd day of the rash and its starting to itch and keeps me up at night ( tossing and turning ) I been taking Benadryl ( Claritin 10mg during the day ) and my doctor prescribed me a steriod to take for the next 6 days. The rash is irritating and starts to itch and drives me crazy not to be able to itch. Aside from the Benadryl + Steriods, is there anything else anyone can suggest for me to take to relieve the itchying? Any types of itch relief creams? I recently contracted the virus within the past 8 months and decided to start treatment when my Tcell count hit 650 and virual load at 9000. Starting meds with these numbers wasnt recommended by my doctor, but said it wouldn't hurt if I wanted to start treament.Has anyone experienced these side effects withing the same time frame when the meds were started? Has anyone any suggestions to help relieve the itchy feeling so that I can sleep?

I am glad to hear your report! Atripla kicked my ass for about three weeks but my diagnoses numbers sucked really, really bad. Insomnia, nausea, thrush, hot, cold, diarrhea just for beginners. I lost a ton of weight because I had no appetite. Ran a low grade fever. Food made me sick.

My doctor told me it would take my body time to adjust and he was right on. At the three week point, it was like someone flipped a switch and things got better. I began to eat, went on Prozac for depression, and my over-all health recovered quite well.

The three week adjustment period was hell, I'm not going to lie. I was so weak, it was hard to get out of bed. Even though I felt like I was going to die I just kept telling myself it would get better and slowly, it did. My doc said that the effects on my were bad because we started with horrible numbers (his exact words) but I responded very well to Atripla and the disease is being managed.

Doctors can seem nonchalant when dealing with this but in my experience it's not because they don't care, it's because they are used to dealing with this and there are stages you have to go through. Ask questions...ask a lot of questions but don't be afraid.

I'm glad to hear that you have bounced back Thats good news and hope it even gets better for you

I recently contracted the virus within the past 8 months and decided to start treatment when my Tcell count hit 650 and virual load at 9000. Starting meds with these numbers wasnt recommended by my doctor, but said it wouldn't hurt if I wanted to start treament.

I wonder why. My numbers were better than that, but gradually getting worse after 6 months of being monitored, when my doctor recommended that I start treatment.

Regarding the rash, it will probably quickly disappear, but you can ask your doctor for a prescription-strength oral antihistamine that may help more with the itching. Be careful about smearing creams over large areas of your body.